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Erica and Justin’s wedding was one that their friends and family had been waiting for, and looking forward to, for a very long time. Erica and Justin met in middle school and began dating in high school. After dating throughout high school, during their four years at The University of Michigan, and into their early 20s, Justin proposed to Erica in their home. It was a romantic proposal, using rose petals, candles and champagne (what more could a girl want?!) to win her heart.

Erica and Justin’s Wedding Ceremony and Reception took place at The Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Erica had wanted a venue that offered an indoor and outdoor setting, as well as a caterer with kosher food. Erica had her Bat Mitzvah at The Skirball, so it already held a special place in her heart as the perfect setting for her wedding. It was just meant to be.

Erica’s vision was to have a “simple, but elegant and romantic wedding. She wanted to blend beauty with a contemporary feel, based on a color scheme of whites, blush, lavender and accents of silver.

The bridal bouquet consisted of all white peonies, while her bridesmaids carried bouquets of blush flowers, made up of roses, hydrangeas and her very favorite flower, dahlias.

In traditional Jewish wedding fashion, we designed a chuppah that was beautifully adorned in lavish florals by Amy Childs, from The Hidden Garden. It truly encompassed the overall theme and was simply gorgeous. Erica made a dramatic entrance down a long staircase… and even longer aisle.

Erica had written in a diary that documented their entire friendship… and romantic relationship. That set the tone for the entire evening. To personalize their wedding…. we created a video that actually showed her diary with the words written…. ” I think I am going to marry Justin Nussen”…. and played their introduction to the video montage of their lives and courtship to the song, “Today I met the man I’m going to marry.” Everyone was blown away and so happy to be a part of their happiness.

Their wedding cake, designed with Kimberly from The Butter End, was composed of four white, frosted layers that were beautifully embossed with a quilted pattern and separated by layers of silver crystal embellished decor. The show-shopping cake was displayed on a silver plateau and it sat on a silver, sequined La Tavola linen.

Our goal was to create a “magical look” for such a special couple and make their dreams come true. From beginning to end, it was a “Dream Wedding” and we were thrilled to be a part of it!

On “Day Two” the celebration continued as Rebecca and Ari’s friends stepped onto the red carpet in front of the iconic Avalon theater lit with broadway lights.

Personalized movie posters were placed in the photo boxes with Rebecca and Ari’s faces superimposed.

As the guests entered into the theatre… they had their photos taken in front of a step and repeat that was adorned with red-lacquered chanel flowers along with their names.

Their first stop was the 16 foot ice bar where they were served champagne. Guests were escorted upstairs where they were entertained with a piano bar, lounge act and incredible cocktails with hors d’oeurves. At the end of the cocktail hour, guests came downstairs to see that the same ice bar was now overflowing with shrimp, crab and oysters for them to enjoy.

Next, their guests were ushered into the main club to find the entire space was transformed into a spectacular night club. The ceiling was lit with red and filled with a gleaming collection of crystal mirror balls along with the crystal studded stage front. It was a setting the Great Gatsby to be proud of! Food stations were adorned with red roses and filled with every type of food imaginable. Drinks were flowing the entire night and everyone felt as though they were part of a once-in-a-lifetime “happening.”

DJ Ant and a team of talented dancers performed throughout the night with a “headliner”, too hot to mention! None of their guests will be able to forget this incredible line-up!

The ice bar was turned into a never-ending candy extravangza of all of their favorite retro candies. The guests enjoyed the sweet treats throughout the night and on their ride home.

This was truly a magical memory for our bride and groom! Every single one of their guests went home with their photo to remind them of their night. From the beginning to end, it was a celebration of their dreams…. and then some.

With 3 months to plan a wedding for 450 guests— we had the best time making wedding dreams come true!!

Saturday was the magnificent wedding ceremony and dinner reception held at Nobu in Malibu. The California weather gods were with us as the sun was brightly shining down on our bride and groom..

With the crystal clear ocean setting and the most incredible clear skies, my bride and groom shared their wedding vows in front of 100 of their nearest and dearest family and friends. The spectacular Chuppah was overflowing with white and ivory flowers. Guests were seated “theatre style” to feel as though they were a part of their breathtaking ceremony.

As the guests were ushered to the front patio for cocktails and hors d’oeurves, we were busy turning over the ceremony space into the most magical dinner reception. We transformed the chuppah into the perfect spot for their beautiful wedding cake and placed dining tables and gold chamelion chairs onto the back patio for the unmatchable 9-course meal that never stopped. The champagne coin table linens were mirrored by the champagne coin curtains that draped the walls of the entire restaurant. The romantic candlelight created an atmosphere that was the perfect blend of sophistication and magic. Hand-painted personalized stones were used as place cards and personalized white chopsticks were tucked into the napkins.

After dinner, the guests were surprised with a 20 minute show stopping performance by an awesome group that replicated the Jersey Boys.” The bride and groom joined them in their performance to make it even more fun for their guests.

The monogramed white gloss dance floor had guests dancing the night away to the music of DJ Ant.

Everyone left thinking, “it was the best wedding and celebration of my life” but, they had no idea what was to come the next night!

We loved designing this Magical Italian Experience in a setting fit for this very special Bride and Groom. The photographs from A Beautiful Day captured the theme for the day just perfectly. From the gorgeous outdoor Chuppah overlooking the golf course at Toscana Country Club in Indian Wells to the perfectly vibrant bouquets and tabletops from Mark’s Garden every detail was perfectly planned. Isn’t the bride’s champagne gown just to die for! Amore xo

The wedding was full of beauty and grace reflective of the venue. The vibe we were aiming for was New York elegance, a very glamorous city feel.

We draped walls of the Grand Del Mar ballroom with a gorgeous organza. 1,000 candles were lit everywhere, or at least appears that way with the way the room sparkled. We were able to make the ballroom feel intimate through the use of various table shapes, sizes and materials. Alternating chairs were also used at each table including Ghost Chairs.

For the head table we decided to do something a little different. We used an elevated table with high back Regency bar stools. Located next to the dance floor, this elevated table created some extra drama to the design. The head table was mirrored while three translucent shades wrapped around chandeliers hung over the guests. The table was adorned with low floral story created by Kathy Wright.

Their Dance floor was high gloss white and black combo that reflected the light of the room beautifully. Vignettes surrounded the dance floor so guests could watch the bride and groom’s first dance. The monogrammed vinyl graphic projected the couple’s initials onto the dance floor.

There was a four-sided bar until after dinner, where it converted into a 3 sided dessert bar. A sweet palette of mini whoopee pies, macaroons, lemon bars, candy apples were served with a coffee station. The full four-sided bar was 13×16 draped with a platinum rosette linen. The top of the bar was trimmed with crystal cut metal and topped with a mirror.

As promised, we’re blogging the entire wedding featured in Inside Weddings Summer 2013 Issue. Heather and Scott were such a fund couple to work with. Thank you Embrace Life Photography for these gorgeous images!

Love Notes

Stacey Janks had no idea that the DVD she was about to watch with her film-composer boyfriend, Eric Jasper, would change her life forever one fateful “movie night.” The standard MPAA message appeared as expected, and everything seemed quite normal at first. Soon, however, a montage of photographs featuring the pair began to run, set to an original score written by Eric. When the montage ended, the words “coming to a hand near you,” flashed across the screen, at which point Eric dutifully knelt on one knee and officially popped the question.

With just over a year to prepare for their wedding, the couple began by selecting their perfect location. The bride knew she desired a full-service venue in Los Angeles that could host a beautiful outdoor ceremony as well as offer a kosher meal. A luxury Beverly Hills hotel met all requirements with flying colors, and planning got underway. The musically inclined groom was put in charge of the entertainment, while all other decisions were left up to the bride, her mother, and the couple’s expert consultants.

“We wanted our wedding to be fun and feel like a big party,” states Stacey, who achieved a sophisticated-yet-celebratory atmosphere by employing a black-and-white color palette with silver accents and flashy overtones of hot pink. Four varietals of fuchsia flowers decorated the chuppah, while hot pink roses rested atop tall metallic structures that had been placed on either side of the ceremony aisle. The bridal bouquet was an arrangement of peonies in the same vibrant shade as the floral décor. Bridesmaids wore short, single-shoulder black dresses and carried ivory nosegays, while groomsmen wore black suits with silver ties. Two flower girls donned snowy dresses with colorful sashes fit for a pair of princesses.

In addition to observing tradition, commemoration was a priority to the couple, whose Jewish ceremony featured many religious customs and personal touches. “It was very important for me to find a way to incorporate something that belonged to my late grandfather into the wedding,” says Stacey, who found the perfect opportunity to do so during the bedekin (the ceremonial veiling of the bride before the ceremony). In a symbolic gesture representative of him “taking possession” of the bride, Eric took a handkerchief that had belonged to Stacey’s beloved relative from the hand of the rabbi.

Eric also contributed his talents by composing an original song set to an ancient Hebrew text for the cantor to sing during the service, and went to great lengths to select the perfect quartet to accompany his arrangement. The same musicians would later entertain during the cocktail hour with well-known show tunes and classic rock as the evening’s festivities got underway.

Four giant letters that spelled the word “l-o-v-e” served as a base for the escort card table. After locating their seat assignments, guests made their way into the hotel ballroom, which had been transformed with cheerful pink lighting. Alternating tables were draped in either black- or white-sequined linens, then set with charger plates of the opposite shade. Fuchsia flowers and napkins bound with sparkly rings unified the theme. Centerpieces consisted of either groupings of vessels in varying heights boasting flowers in tones of hot pink and magenta, or tall, shapely obsidian vases supporting explosions of beautiful mixed blossoms.

A chic ebony-and-ivory dance floor featured the couple’s custom monogram. Polk-dot ribbons encircled each layer of a towering wedding cake with five square tiers. A jovial topper featured a groom on skis hoisting his snow-bunny bride.

Though Stacey had gone to excruciating lengths to ensure every detail of her wedding was perfectly executed, she is the first to admit that an event about which she was completely unaware turned out to be the most memorable moment of the day for her. Eric had written a song entitled “Dreaming of You, Stacey,” and had secretly arranged for the band to perform it during the reception. To top it off, in the middle of the tune, the gifted groom suddenly jumped on stage to perform a trumpet solo.

“I was completely surprised,” the bride beams. “I had no idea he had been working on it for weeks and coordinated everything with the band. The whole thing completely blew me away.”

In lieu of traditional wedding favors, the bride opted to host a delicious candy buffet that offered a selection of childhood favorites. Guests were given black-and-white take-out boxes to transport as many sweets home as their hearts desired.

Though many brides and grooms report feeling as though their wedding day passed too quickly, Eric is happy to report that both he and Stacey managed to live in the moment and enjoy every aspect of the event to its absolute fullest. And although he fondly recounts the lively dancing, the delicious dinner, and the fabulous décor, what will remain forever etched in his mind is standing beneath the chuppah holding his bride’s hands and looking into her eyes. “We felt completely at ease and focused on each other,” he recalls. “We could not stop smiling.”